Whether you want to add depth and color to outdoor landscaping, highlight a patio with greenery, or include a lovely and vibrant plant inside your home that cleanses the air naturally, consider the Kimberly Queen fern. This impressive fern originates from Australia, the land down under!
What Are Kimberly Queen Ferns?
The Kimberley Queen fern or the Nephrolepis obliterata originated in Australia. The plant is named after the Kimberley region, the northernmost region in the country where the Earl of Kimberley served as the British colony’s Secretary of State.
The fern is an overly lush plant with abundant long, straight fronds that create a full and bushy plant. It is striking in its appearance. Each frond curves slightly, making the visual effects of the plant extremely appealing. The plant is also called the sword fern because of the fern’s distinctive long-pointed fronds.
Kimberly Queen Fern Basics
- Kimberley Queens do best when planted in USDA zones 9 through 11.
- The fern is a perennial that, at maturity, grows on average between 2 to 3 feet tall and 2 to 4 feet wide, which makes it an impressive addition to outdoor landscapes.
- The plant prefers partial sun and shade and grows best when supported by acidic, moist, and well-drained soil.
- Produces foliage. It does not produce flowers.
10 Benefits of Kimberly Queen Ferns
1. Air Purifier
One of the healthiest benefits of the Kimberly Queen fern is its ability to work as a natural air purifier.
The plant can filter out toxins, such as formaldehyde, and airborne pollutants, including pet dander, pollen, mold, and more, that fill the air, causing headaches and difficulty in breathing.
At the same time, ferns serve as a source of producing clean oxygen.
2. Planting Options
Along with being an air-cleaner, Kimberly Queen ferns are versatile as they can be easily grown indoors, in hanging baskets indoors or outdoors, and as a container plant that can be moved indoors during cold weather.
3. Landscaping
When planted outdoors, the ferns provide exceptional ground cover for areas that need to be filled in because of a lack of other plants. Because of their fullness, they can create a visually appealing landscaped area around a pool or patio and privacy.
4. Planting Environment
The Kimberly Queen fern is one of the easiest fern species to grow. It likes both sun and shade, making it a fern-friendly option for growing indoors and outdoors.
The ferns require minimal upkeep. Feeding the plants with a fertilizer once or twice a year, providing adequate water without overwatering, removing pests, and ensuring the ferns receive enough humidity are all that’s needed.
5. Decorative
Aesthetically, the Kimberly Queen fern, with its graceful fronds and fullness, enhances the decor of the interior of the home with its natural beauty while purifying the air. The ferns thrive on humidity, another reason they do well indoors.
6. Fern Lifespan
The lifespan of Kimberly Queen ferns can vary based on the upkeep of the plant and its location. In general, a well-maintained fern can live for five or more years.
7. Non-toxic Ferns
For homes where children and pets reside, like the similar Boston fern, the Staghorn fern, and Bird’s Nest fern, Kimberly Queen ferns are a safe choice whether grown indoors or outdoors as the plant is not toxic.
8. Pest and Control Options
While most plants, not all, attract bugs, this fern isn’t prone to a lot of bug activity.
If there are signs of pests, such as spider mites, mealy bugs, or Florida fern caterpillars, the pests are easily removed by hand or by spraying the affected area with water or a non-toxic insecticide.
9. Winter Option for Kimberly Queen Ferns
Kimberly Queen ferns are prolific growers and return each year when planted in the correct zones where the temperatures and seasonal conditions allow the plant to thrive.
For gardeners living outside of the suggested USDA zones and in colder climates, the ferns can survive the winter if planted in containers that can be moved inside for the duration of the winter season.
10. Physical and Mental Benefits of Ferns in General
Ferns have a history of being a healthy addition to the home. On a physical and mental level, indoor plants can help make you feel better by reducing stress, making breathing easier, and helping you stay focused, according to horticulture experts.
The easier breathing benefit comes from the plants “cleaning the air” and removing unhealthy toxins, such as benzene and formaldehyde. On average, when six to eight plants of medium or large sizes are placed in a large area, the air quality is noticeable. Mentally, it only makes sense that greenery is relaxing.
A study on the effects of indoor foliage noted, “We evolved on earth amongst the grasslands surrounded by trees and plants. It is no wonder they make us feel at home; for eons, they have fed our bodies and our souls.”
When stress is part of your everyday existence, planting, potting, caring, and maintaining plants lowers stress levels, allowing you to focus better and be more productive.
